Many parents worry that they have not received the call confirming that their child will be eligible for academic catch-up. As for those who were called, many fear that the tutoring offered will not be sufficient.
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“I can’t believe it,” says Véronique Lacombe, mother of two autistic boys who attend two different elementary schools in Laval.
One is in a regular class, the other in a specialized class. Both have an intervention plan.
As of Friday morning, she had still not received a call, email or letter telling her if they will be entitled to tutoring or specialized help to make up for the five weeks of school missed due to the strike .
- Listen to the interview with Nicolas Prévost, president of the Quebec Federation of Educational Institution Directors, via QUB :
Finally, she learned Friday afternoon that her oldest son would not be entitled to this catch-up, which confirms her impression that students in specialized classes are often considered “less important”.
Radio silence
As for his other son, radio silence. However, he also has several problems affecting his learning, even if he is on a regular basis.
On January 9, the Minister of Education Bernard Drainville presented a $300 million catch-up plan so that schools could offer tutoring outside of school hours. Young people who have an intervention plan should be targeted, as well as all others who need one.
According to the schedule presented, parents of students who will have access to catch-up should receive confirmation from their school no later than Friday. Eight school service centers have also confirmed to Newspaper that most affected parents would be contacted this week.
If parents have still not received a personalized catch-up plan, is it because they are not entitled to one or because the school is behind in its communications?
“It’s not clear,” observes Sylvain Martel, spokesperson for the Regroupement des committees de parents nationaux du Québec (RCPAQ). “If you don’t have an answer, you’re like waiting […] It creates a blur.”
A little thin
“Whatever we can take, we’ll take,” says Julie Rioux, mother of a 7-year-old girl who suffers from attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Friday, she received the long-awaited plan from her school, located in Quebec. Her daughter will be entitled to a one-hour tutoring session after school on Tuesdays until spring break.
This amounts to a total of 4 or 5 hours of tutoring, which is a little help to make up for five weeks of school. “We hit the jackpot,” she quips.
At Fleur-de-Vie primary school in Laval, students in grade 6e year who had 69% or less in the main subjects of their last report card will be entitled to tutoring twice a week until spring break.
“We are already at the end of January,” while spring break will take place at the beginning of March, underlines Olivier Laforme, president of the governing board and himself the father of a little girl who is behind in math.
The idea of continuing tutoring after the break was also discussed with the governing board, he notes.
Bonus hot chocolate
Annie Desrochers, for her part, is delighted by what was offered to her by the Hébert school in Laval.
Her son Tommy, 10, has ADD. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning before the bell rings, he will be entitled to small group tutoring to support him in his reading and writing.
Tommy Joannette, 10 years old.
Courtesy Annie Desrochers
Young people will even be entitled to hot chocolate, so that catching up is seen as a privilege, and not as an overload, congratulates Mme Rocks.
“The way it was presented to him by his teacher, it’s magical […] He’s so excited, he’s so happy,” exclaims Mme Rocks.
The feedback Sylvain Martel has received so far is rather encouraging. “My fear was to only hear horror stories,” admits the man who is used to “continual disappointment” with decision-makers.
For the moment, this is not the case. “Of course it won’t work everywhere. But between what was announced [et ce qui se passe sur le terrain]it looks more similar than usual.”